by Alison Stone
A whisper of dread coursed through Danielle veins as she approached the door. The brisk autumn air did nothing to cool her fiery cheeks. She grabbed the cell phone from her purse and blinked at the display. No calls from Gram or Patrick. Surely someone would have called if there had been an emergency.
Danielle found Patrick and Gram in the living room. Patrick sat on the footstool holding Gram’s hand, talking in a low voice. The side-table lamp hadn’t been turned on despite the gathering darkness of the overcast day. Something in the tableau made her heart plummet. “Did something happen to Jenny?”
Patrick spun around at the sound of Danielle’s voice. The dim light cast unreadable shadows in his eyes. Hands planted on his thighs, he pushed to his feet. As he walked toward her, a smile spread across his lips, sending a rush of relief through her body. Her breath came out in whoosh.
“Jenny is fine. She regained consciousness. But she doesn’t remember anything.” Patrick squeezed her hand and a jolt shot up her arm, from both relief and his gentle touch. Immediately her mind took her back to the other day, to Patrick’s gentle kiss. Her flesh still tingled at the memory…and the embarrassment. Why had she overreacted and run off? What a fool. It was just a kiss.
Jenny was okay. The words finally registered. Danielle threw her arms around his neck and hugged him. Pure joy filled her heart. “Thank goodness.” She came down off her tiptoes and gave him a meek smile. Ignoring the heat warming her cheeks, she brushed past him and knelt next to Gram’s chair. She pulled her into an embrace.
“God is good.” Gram breathed into her hair. “God is good.”
Danielle pulled back to meet Gram’s watery gaze. “Have you been up to see her since she woke up?”
Gram nodded and gestured behind Danielle. “Patrick took me.” Her lips trembled. “She looks pale and didn’t say much.”
Danielle glanced over her shoulder. “She didn’t say anything?”
Patrick’s lips thinned into a straight line and he shook his head slightly.
Gram stroked the cover of the Bible sitting in her lap. “The nurse wanted her to rest. Said she could only have one guest.”
“Jimmy?” Annoyance edged Danielle’s tone. She hated the notion that Gram had been shuffled out of the room for him to sit vigil. But at least someone was there with Jenny. Protecting her.
“Jimmy. Thank God for Jimmy,” Gram smiled as a tear escaped and ran down her soft cheek. “He’s been there for her right along.”
Guilt ran cold through Danielle’s veins. Jimmy had been there. Unlike Danielle.
“Are you okay here? I’m going to see Jenny.” She pulled a few tissues from the box on the table and handed them to Gram.
“I’ll drive you,” Patrick offered.
Danielle opened her mouth to protest but realized she didn’t have a choice.
As they drove to the hospital, Danielle seemed pale and frazzled. Patrick resisted the urge to reach across the console and cover her hand to tell her everything was okay.
“How was your trip?”
She shook her head. “Not what I expected.”
“You still have a job, right?” He chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
“You laugh…” Danielle stared out the windshield, a glum look on her face. “It’s not funny. A senior partner questioned my commitment to the job. Two top clients have been handed over on a silver platter to a coworker who—” she clasped her hands and pressed them to her chest, “—profusely expressed his deepest concern for my sister, while at the same time his beady little eyes glistened with glee.” Instead of sounding angry, she sounded resigned. “I’ll be lucky if I have a job when I return for good.”
“It sounds like a dog-eat-dog world,” Patrick said, still feeling like a heel for stealing a kiss the other night. He had intended to keep his distance, yet had taken advantage of her vulnerability. He owed her an apology, but didn’t think this was the best time to broach the subject. Sighing, he flicked the control for the directional to signal his turn into the hospital parking lot.
Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Danielle shifting in her seat. “It is a dog-eat-dog world. But it’s my world.”
“A job doesn’t define you.” He maneuvered into a parking space and put the car in park.
“It pays the bills.” She stepped out of the vehicle and slammed the door.
Patrick jogged to catch up with Danielle. “Don’t you want more?”
The automatic doors whirred open. Danielle glanced over her shoulder. “I have more than I ever had growing up.”
He caught her hand. She froze in her tracks but didn’t meet his gaze. “That’s not what I meant and you know it.”
“I have everything I need.” The look in her eyes conveyed a challenge.
He reached out to touch her cheek but dropped his hand before he made contact. A million different ways he could respond swirled in his brain, but any words died on his lips.
“I have a warm house, food, clothing. More than some people.” She cocked a manicured brow, then spun around and strode toward Jenny’s room.
“Wait up,” Patrick called.
Danielle slowed her pace but didn’t stop. “Dr. Moss suggested we give your sister another day before we start asking questions. If she mentions something, that’s fine, but she suggested we don’t push it.”
“Okay.” The single word came out clipped. Her shoulders sagged, her bravado crumbling. “Are you sure she didn’t say anything about the accident?” He hated the implication he wasn’t being forthcoming. Guilt pinged his conscience. Was he?
He cleared his throat. “She can’t remember anything.”
She slowed outside her sister’s room. “That’s not unusual with a head injury, right?” She kept her voice low. “Maybe her memory will improve?”
“Give it time.” Danielle’s hopeful expression pained him. “Come on.” With a hand to the small of her back, he guided her into Jenny’s room. Danielle sucked in a quick breath.
Jenny was lying in the bed, her white skin made paler by the white linens. Yellowish-brown crescent-shaped bruises marred the flesh underneath both eyes. Jimmy sat at the head of the bed running a strand of Jenny’s hair through his fingers. His pain was palpable. Without turning, Jimmy whispered, “She’s sleeping.”
Patrick sensed the disappointment flowing through Danielle.
“I don’t think you should wake her,” Jimmy said, his voice husky with emotion.
Danielle bowed her head and Patrick moved his hand over her back in circles. “It’s good. She needs her rest.”
Jimmy moved away from the head of the bed and lowered his voice. “Any news on what happened?” He dragged a hand through his hair, a tic working in his jaw. Patrick shook his head. Tapping his fingers on the footboard, Jimmy glanced over his shoulder at Jenny. “You’d tell me right? You’d tell me if you knew anything?”
“As best I can, Jimmy. It’s an ongoing investigation.”
Jimmy’s lips pressed into a thin line. “It’s only a matter of time before I’m on the police force.” He tipped his cheek toward his shoulder. “Don’t shut me out.”
Patrick cupped Jimmy’s shoulder. “Jenny needs you right where you are. By her side.” A tightness constricted his chest. He would have done anything to be by Lisa’s side when she’d fallen sick. Instead, he’d been a world away in the Middle East when his wife had died. His stomach hollowed out.
A nurse breezed into the room with a business-like expression. “I’m going to have to ask you all to leave. The patient needs her rest.”
Jimmy took up his spot by Jenny’s bed and picked up her hand. The nurse stood with hands planted firmly on her hips. “You’re going to have to leave too. You need your rest as well.”
“But—” Jimmy started to protest.
“The nurse is correct. You need your rest too.” Patrick tipped his head toward the door.
Jimmy followed Danielle and Patrick out into the hallway. “You going to be okay?” Patrick aske
d.
“Yeah.” Jimmy rubbed a hand across his chin. He looked up at Patrick. “Something’s been bothering me.” He flicked a glance at Danielle.
Her eyes widened, but she pointed down the hall. “I’ll give you some privacy.”
Once Danielle was out of earshot, Jimmy said, “My father told me you guys are trying to figure out where Jenny was headed when she got into her accident.” He set his jaw. “Have you checked out Henry?”
“What about him?”
“He seems to be real interested in Jenny.” A line marred Jimmy’s forehead. Anger flashed in his eyes. “More than just classmates or the guy who does odd jobs around the house. I questioned her about it and she admitted he’d asked her out. But Jenny insisted they were just friends.” A muscle in his jaw started twitching again. “The nurse mentioned he stopped by earlier. I don’t like it.”
The devastation in Jimmy’s voice tore at Patrick’s gut. “You think maybe Henry couldn’t take no for an answer?” Had Henry taken advantage of Jenny because Jimmy was out of town? Patrick twisted his lips. But wasn’t it more likely that Billy or one of his thugs had caught up with Jenny?
Jimmy looked away, determination squaring his jaw. “It crossed my mind.”
The Protector slipped behind a tree and twirled the unlit cigarette between his fingers. He was too smart. If anyone suspected him of being here, they’d bag and tag his cigarettes, get his DNA and get him. Eventually.
Hours had passed since Patrick and Danielle pulled out of the hospital parking lot. Hours of being patient. Biding his time. But now the time had come to act. The beauty of living in a small town was a lack of security. A lesson he’d learned time and time again. It had served him well.
He slipped a ski mask over his face. He couldn’t be too careful, even though he knew the hospital was staffed with a skeleton crew this late at night. Without making a sound, he moved across the manicured grounds and stopped outside Jenny’s window. It was unlocked. He hadn’t gotten this far in life without having a plan.
Muscles straining, he slid the window open. Peering inside, he listened intently. The only sound was Jenny’s bedside monitor. A warning sounded in his brain. He was about to make that thing go off. He didn’t have time to waste.
Using his upper body strength, he pulled himself up, threw a leg over, and in one fluid motion, he was in. He stalked over to Jenny’s bedside and leaned in. Close. His nose curled back, repulsed by the unwashed scent of human hair. The other night he’d understood the attraction that had led to this mess. Tonight, he was reminded of women’s lesser qualities. The needier, the weaker, the frailer of the species.
“Jenny,” he whispered in a sing-song voice. “Oh, Jenny.”
Jenny’s eyes snapped open. Just then he pressed a hand down hard on her mouth to stifle whatever weak scream she could muster. Her blue eyes looked wild, but she didn’t give him much of a struggle. Poor girl was probably still weak from the beating. If she’d only had the good sense to die, he wouldn’t have had to risk everything by sneaking in here. He glanced over his shoulder. The curtain billowed in front of the open window.
He pressed down on her mouth and with the other hand squeezed her hand where the tubes were inserted. In the dim light, a single tear glistened in the corner of her eye. “Oh, sweet Jenny.”
She struggled to shake her head against his firm grasp. The heart monitor sounded its response. His pulse spiked. Sweat beaded under the knit fabric of his mask. He’d have to make this quick.
He pulled his hand away and patted her cheek roughly. “You don’t remember who hurt you. If you say anything, I’ll kill your sister, your grandmother and sweet, sweet Ava.”
Sheer terror filled her eyes. He pinched her nose and mouth with his black-gloved hand. Her body bucked under his grasp, but she was no match for his brute strength. Strength always won.
He closed his eyes and imagined her life slipping away. But that was not his end-goal. Not tonight. It would be too…suspicious. He had to stay the course.
The heart monitor chirped. He ripped the plug from the outlet, silencing the offending piece of equipment. It would take the nurse seventeen seconds to make it to the room from her station. Longer since she had a habit of gabbing at shift change with the other nurse in the break room at the far end of the hall.
“Don’t forget. If you tell anyone what really happened to you, I’ll hurt everyone you love,” he whispered his final reminder.
The sharp staccato sound of running feet broke through his adrenaline high. He let go of Jenny’s face. She sucked in a sharp breath and gasped as she struggled to fill her lungs with air.
His pulse roared in his ears. He pulled back the thick curtain and stepped onto the window’s edge and jumped, landing in the soft dirt. He crouched, hidden behind a bush, his body pressed against the rough brick.
Three, two, one…
“What happened here?” The nurse arrived in the room just as he had anticipated. Her alarmed voice floated out to him through the open window above him.
“Bad dream,” he heard Jenny croak out. She broke into a coughing jag.
“Did you unplug your monitor?” the nurse asked, her voice filled with reproach.
“I must have been thrashing around in my dream.”
Good girl. The only worthwhile women were the ones you could control. If they couldn’t be controlled, he’d squeeze the life out of them. A bead of sweat snaked down his back. A cramp rippled through his thigh. He ached to get out of this awkward position and get this sweltering ski mask off.
“I’ll give you something to help you sleep,” the nurse said. Jenny must have tried to resist, but the nurse insisted. The nurse’s voice grew closer to where he hid. “Who opened this window?” she asked. Above his head, the nurse pulled the window shut and fastened the lock. Suddenly he was cast in deeper shadow. The nurse had pulled the curtains closed.
To avoid detection, he waited a fraction, the damp mud seeping through one knee of his pants. Crouched over, he bolted across the dew-covered lawn and disappeared into the woods. Safely hidden in the shadows, he ripped off his mask. He savored the memory of the terror in her eyes. Jenny would keep her mouth shut.
For now.
And the first inkling otherwise, he’d snap her scrawny neck.
Chapter Ten
“Morning.” The single word sounded strained as Danielle stepped into Jenny’s hospital room alone.
Jenny turned her head slowly, her flyaway hair splayed against the white pillowcase. “Boy, I must have been at death’s door to get you back to Mayport.” Her weak smile contradicted the deep sadness in her eyes.
“That’s not very nice.” Danielle’s stilted laugh echoed in the sterile hospital room. She gave Jenny a tentative kiss on the cheek. The skin on Jenny’s face had turned a deep purplish green. “You really had me worried.”
Jenny pressed a hand to her cheek and lowered her eyes. “Me too.”
“Are you in pain?” Danielle tipped her head, trying to read Jenny’s mood.
“Only when I’m awake.”
Danielle caressed her sister’s pale cheek. Red marks marred her sister’s mouth and nose. Marks she hadn’t noticed before. Goose bumps swept over her skin. “What happened here?”
Jenny waved a hand in dismissal. “I ran into the door when I got up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom.”
“Call the nurse when you get out of bed.” Jenny flinched and Danielle immediately regretted her stern tone.
“I’m okay.” Jenny glared at her with steely eyes. She lifted her chin, but her trembling lips belied her bravado. Tears filled her eyes and her entire body began to shake. “I want to get out of this place.”
“Soon, I’m sure.” Danielle glanced around the sterile room. “Hey, Gram told me you were taking early education classes.” She wanted to lighten the mood. And she’d promised Patrick she wouldn’t ask about the night Jenny was hurt. He had claimed it was critical that he be there to measure her response.
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Jenny nodded, pressing her fingers to her temples. “Yeah. I want to be a teacher. But I’m missing all my classes. It will be impossible to catch up if I don’t get out of here soon.” She sighed in frustration. “It was a stupid dream anyway.”
“Why do you say that? I think it’s great. You can catch up. Or worse case, start again in January. I can help with tuition. You can cut back on your work hours. Gram told me you were working a ton.” Danielle prattled on, searching for some connection with her little sister, searching for a way to make everything okay.
Jenny closed her eyes briefly and drew in a shaky breath. “The doctor told me I might be able to go home in a few days. I’ll be fine. I’m sure you need to get back to your job.”
“No. Yes…I mean…” Danielle squeezed her sister’s hand. “I want to make sure you and Gram are okay first.”
Something flickered in Jenny’s eyes that Danielle couldn’t quite identify. Pain? Fear? “I’ll be fine.” Jenny’s lower lip quivered. “Please just go back to Atlanta. I don’t need your help.”
“What is it? Please tell me.” Danielle moved to pull Jenny into an embrace, but her sister lifted her hand, deflecting her.
“Well,” Jenny said with a forced smile, “my body aches. I feel like I was someone’s punching bag.” Jenny flicked a glance toward Danielle and then lowered her gaze.
“Let me get Patrick. Tell him what happened. He’ll arrest whoever hurt you.” Danielle felt her heart rate kick up a notch. She sensed her sister was on the cusp of sharing something with her but feared the moment was slipping away.
Jenny turned her face and brushed a tear with her shoulder. “I screwed up everything.”
“What do you mean?” Danielle forced the words from a too-tight throat.
Jenny stared off in the middle distance then averted her eyes. A confused expression settled on her features. “I don’t remember anything about the night I got hurt.” Jenny’s words sounded flat, almost rehearsed.